Actively Recruiting
Pilot Trial of the STEP-Home-SP Telehealth Workshop to Improve Reintegration and Reduce Suicide Risk for Recently Transitioned Veterans
Led by VA Office of Research and Development · Updated on 2026-03-06
120
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
169 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Veterans face a high risk of suicide during the first year after leaving military service, especially those who are not connected to VA healthcare. This research aims to improve suicide prevention and support for recently transitioned Veterans by providing education, transition skills, and assistance in accessing VA services. The study focuses on a new approach called STEP-Home-SP, a skills-based, non-stigmatizing workshop designed to reduce suicide risk by enhancing social support and reintegration during this critical period. The intervention being studied is STEP-Home-SP, which involves weekly group sessions lasting about 1.5 hours over 12 weeks. Core skills such as Emotional Regulation and Problem Solving are taught and practiced throughout the program, supplemented by attention training and up to six individual 30-minute skills-building sessions based on each Veteran's needs. These workshops are delivered via VA-approved video telehealth by trained staff working in pairs. The study also compares STEP-Home-SP to Enhanced Usual Care, which includes standard care plus educational material on suicide risk and VA care connection. Participants will be evaluated through multiple assessments including measures of recruitment and enrollment feasibility, treatment adherence, satisfaction surveys, and reintegration status using the Military to Civilian Questionnaire. Data will be collected at baseline, during the 12-week intervention, and at 24 weeks. Researchers will monitor participant engagement, collect feedback through interviews, and assess changes in reintegration and VA care use to inform further research. The total study period spans up to one year to capture the critical transition phase for Veterans.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
A Mixed Methods Pilot Trial of the STEP Home Workshop to Improve Reintegration and Reduce Suicide Risk for Recently Transitioned Veterans
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Recently transitioned Veterans within three years of separation from military service
- Self-reported functional impairment or reintegration difficulties as measured by the Military-to-Civilian Questionnaire (any item score > 1 indicating "some difficulty")
- Sufficient English fluency
- Agree to participate (informed consent/HIPAA)
You will not qualify if you...
- Active psychosis
- Imminent or acute high suicide risk requiring immediate crisis intervention (low-moderate non-imminent risk for suicide is allowed)
- Current moderate or severe substance use disorder
- Neurological diagnosis excluding TBI
- Participants with mild substance use disorder are allowed
- Substance use is common and may contribute to reintegration difficulties and suicide risk
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus, Jamaica Plain, MA
Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02130-4817
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
C
Catherine B Fortier, PhD
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
PREVENTION
Number of Arms
2
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